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Josua 12

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1 Und dies sind die Könige des Landes, welche die Kinder Israel schlugen, und deren Land sie in Besitz nahmen jenseit des Jordan, gegen Sonnenaufgang, vom Flusse Arnon bis zum Berge Hermon, und die ganze Ebene gegen Osten:

2 Sihon, der König der Amoriter, der zu Hesbon wohnte; er herrschte von Aroer an, das am Ufer des Flusses Arnon liegt, und zwar von der Mitte des Flußtales an, (Vergl. die Anm. zu 4. Mose 13,23; (desgl. Jos. 13,9. 16)) und über das halbe Gilead bis an den Fluß Jabbok, die Grenze der Kinder Ammon,

3 und über die Ebene bis an den See Kinneroth, gegen Osten, und bis an das Meer der Ebene, das Salzmeer, gegen Osten, nach Beth-Jesimoth hin, und gegen Süden unter den Abhängen des Pisga;

4 und das Gebiet Ogs, des Königs von Basan, von dem Überrest der ephaim, (O. iesen; vergl. 1. Mose 15,20) der zu Astaroth und zu Edrei wohnte;

5 und er herrschte über den Berg Hermon und über Salka und über das ganze Basan, bis an die Grenze der Gesuriter und der Maakathiter, und über das halbe Gilead, die Grenze Sihons, des Königs von Hesbon.

6 Mose, der Knecht Jehovas, und die Kinder Israel schlugen sie; und Mose, der Knecht Jehovas, gab es (d. h. das Land) als Besitztum den ubenitern und den Gaditern und dem halben Stamme Manasse.

7 Und dies sind die Könige des Landes, welche Josua und die Kinder Israel schlugen diesseit des Jordan, nach Westen hin, von Baal-Gad in der Talebene des Libanon, bis an das kahle Gebirge, das gegen Seir aufsteigt. Und Josua gab es (d. h. das Land) den Stämmen Israels als Besitztum, nach ihren Abteilungen,

8 im Gebirge und in der Niederung und in der Ebene und an den Abhängen und in der Wüste und im Süden: die Hethiter und die Amoriter und die Kanaaniter, die Perisiter, die Hewiter und die Jebusiter:

9 der König von Jericho: einer; der König von Ai, das zur Seite von Bethel liegt, einer;

10 der König von Jerusalem: einer; der König von Hebron: einer;

11 der König von Jarmuth: einer; der König von Lachis: einer;

12 der König von Eglon: einer; der König von Geser: einer;

13 der König von Debir: einer; der König von Geder: einer;

14 der König von Horma: einer; der König von Arad: einer;

15 der König von Libna: einer; der König von Adullam: einer;

16 der König von Makkeda: einer; der König von Bethel: einer;

17 der König von Tappuach: einer; der König von Hepher: einer;

18 der König von Aphek: einer; der König von Lascharon: einer;

19 der König von Madon: einer; der König von Hazor: einer;

20 der König von Schimron-Meron: einer; der König von Akschaph: einer;

21 der König von Taanak: einer; der König von Megiddo: einer;

22 der König von Kedesch: einer; der König von Jokneam, am Karmel: einer;

23 der König von Dor, in dem Hügelgebiet von Dor: einer; der König von Gojim (O. der Nationen; wie 1. Mose 14,1) zu Gilgal: einer;

24 der König von Tirza: einer. Aller Könige waren 31.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 12

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 12: The kings who were defeated by Joshua.

This chapter lists the kings who were defeated by Moses on the other side of the river Jordan, and those defeated by Joshua in the land of Canaan. Moses defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Joshua defeated 31 kings, and this chapter names their cities one by one.

We might well wonder: what is the use of such a chapter for us? But here it is, included in the Word of God. We will suggest two ways in which this chapter gives us a spiritual message to work with:

First, the sheer number of kings who opposed Israel represent, in a general way, the many things that prevent us from dedicating ourselves to the Lord’s teachings.

Secondly, the many names of the towns that the Israelites defeated are all significant in identifying the various situations we encounter in our spiritual lives (See Swedenborg’s Arcana Caelestia 2009[9]). For example “Joshua” means ‘God is victory’, something we can come to understand as we choose to turn against evil. We can do that because the Lord fights for and with us; we cannot do that alone.

For every heaven there is a corresponding hell (See Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 588). If mercy is something of heaven, hell is to do with cruelty and all that goes with it. If innocence is of heaven, hell is to do with intended harm and all that goes with that. Evil is unspeakably precise.

Joshua defeated thirty-one kings. The number thirty stands for combat and also for ‘remnants’, which are deep-seated feelings of good and truth given the Lord gives us during our childhood, to help us combat evil in adult regeneration. Thirty-one would seem to suggest combat going on even past thirty (Arcana Caelestia 5335).

The names of the cities of these kings are given, and each name represents a quality. ‘Israel’ was the name given to Jacob by the Lord, after he had wrestled all night with the angel of God and had prevailed (see Genesis 32:24-28). “Israel” means ‘striving with God’ and also ‘a prince with God’, and it became the name of the people of Israel.

As examples, we will look at three Canaanite cities which fought Israel, and explore the spiritual meaning of their names.

1. The king of Jarmuth, means ‘being downcast by death’. Viewing life only in terms of its inevitable end does terrible things to our sense of purpose, hope and trust. Defeating Jarmuth helps us see that death is a transition into eternal life, and our means of passing from this life into our fullest life.

2. The king of Aphek, means ‘tenacious fortress’. We can quite readily see that evil can be exactly like a tenacious fortress. Evil will hang on like grim death and refuse to let us go. Evil will attempt any number of devious tactics to break us down or undermine our faith. The last thing it will do is to see that we’re resolved, and then finally give up.

3. The king of Taanach, which means ‘sandy, hard to cross’. This might remind us of dangerous quicksands, or the way in which we stumble trying to walk through sand. Again, sometimes evil can appear to give us safer passage on solid ground, before we realize that it is the hells ensnaring us.

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Arcana Coelestia # 5335

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5335. 'And Joseph was a son of thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants was complete. This is clear from the meaning of 'thirty' as a completed number of remnants, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in 482, 487, 488, 493, 893. In the Word the number thirty can mean some existence of conflict, or else it can mean a completed number of remnants. The reason why that number has this twofold meaning is that it is arrived at by multiplying five and six, or else by multiplying three and ten. When it is the product of five times six it means some existence of conflict, 2276, because 'five' means some, 649, 4638, 5291, and 'six' conflict, 720, 737, 900, 1709. But when thirty is the product of three times ten it means a completed number of remnants, because 'three' means that which is complete, 2788, 4495, and 'ten' means remnants, 576, 1906, 2284. A composite number implies much the same as the simple ones of which it is the product, 5291. Remnants are the truths joined to good which have been stored away by the Lord in a person's interior parts, see 468, 530, 560, 561, 576, 660, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135.

[2] A completed number of remnants is likewise meant by 'thirty' - as it is also by 'sixty', and by 'a hundred' too - in Mark,

The seed which fell into good ground yielded fruit growing up and increasing. One bore thirty-fold, and another sixty, and another a hundred. Mark 4:8, 10.

Each of these numbers, being a multiple of ten, means a completed number of remnants. Also, because no one can be regenerated - that is, permitted to enter into spiritual temptations, by means of which regeneration is effected - until he has received a completed number of remnants, it was therefore laid down that no Levite should carry out any work in the tent of meeting until he was fully thirty years old. Their work or function is also called 'military service', being referred to in Moses as follows,

Take a census of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi - from sons thirty years of age and over, up to sons fifty years of age, everyone coming to perform military service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. Numbers 4:2-3.

Much the same is said regarding the sons of Gershon, and much the same regarding the sons of Merari, in verses 22, 23, 29, 30, and then in verses 35, 39, 43. Of that same chapter in Moses. And something similar is implied where it says that David began to reign when he was a son thirty years of age, 2 Samuel 5:4.

[3] From all this one may now see why the Lord did not make Himself known until He was thirty years of age, Luke 3:23. At that age a completed number of remnants existed with Him, though these remnants which the Lord possessed were ones that He Himself had acquired for Himself. They were also Divine ones and the means by which He united His Human Essence to His Divine Essence and made that Human Essence Divine, 1906. In Him therefore lies the reason why 'thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants is complete and why the priests the Levites began to perform their specific functions when they were thirty years old. And because he was to represent the Lord's kingship, David did not begin to reign until he was that same age. For every representative is derived from the Lord, and therefore every representative has reference to Him.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.